Israel Folau wants less talk and more action as the NSW Waratahs’ Super Rugby season goes on the line against the Brumbies.
Both sides have a bye this weekend to regroup after dispiriting round-six defeats before the Waratahs host the Brumbies in a massive derby at Allianz Stadium on Saturday week.
The Waratahs have fallen nine competition points adrift of joint Australian conference leaders the Brumbies and Rebels following Sunday’s 21-17 home loss to Melbourne.
The 2014 champions can all but kiss their finals hopes goodbye with another loss to the Brumbies, after they succumbed 32-15 to the ACT outfit in Canberra in round two.
“It’s going to be huge. It could determine a lot of things for our season,” Folau said.
“We want to turn a lot of things around but I think there’s too much talk at the moment. We’ve just got to do it out there on the paddock.”
Coach Daryl Gibson, a former All Black centre accustomed to crisp ball handling, was livid with the Waratahs’ dire execution as countless last passes went to ground or into the arms of Rebels defenders.
“We’ve just got to have a really good look at ourselves,” Folau said.
“Just fundamental errors let us down. You don’t really need to do any training for that. It’s just simple.”
The Wallabies fullback said the onus was on every teammate to polish up on the basic skills of rugby.
“It might be something outside the team environment. Every individual is different. All we can control is the stuff we do together on the training paddock as a team,” he said.
Skipper Michael Hooper attributed the Waratahs’ sloppy execution to a lack of confidence and Folau said as a senior player he’d happily offer some words of encouragement to less experienced teammates like rookie centre David Horwitz.
“Not everyone’s on that same page in terms of confidence,” Folau said.
“There’s probably half the guys that have that self belief in themselves and that ability that they can play and maybe other guys aren’t feeling that way.
“Sometimes you just need that bit of chat to pass on to the younger guys.
“And that’s all it is and once they hear that, they get that confidence back up and realise that they’re part of the team, even though they’ve played only one or two matches.”
